Marvin Ward Elementary School third grade teacher Ramona Kay has been named the school’s teacher of the year.

“This is a well-deserved honor,” said Dr. Wendy Brewington, principal of Ward. “She is an outstanding teacher. Ms. Kay has excellent rapport with her students, their families, and the community. She treats parents as a valued partner, often communicating with them through handwritten notes, emails, and parent/teacher conferences. Her skill and professionalism help her create a challenging and inviting learning environment. Ms. Kay is an asset to our school!”

Kay is a 28 year veteran with the Winston Salem Forsyth County Schools. She received a BS degree in History and a MA Ed – Elementary Education from NC A&T State University and her NC Teacher Certification from Winston Salem State University. Her career has included Head Start Teacher, third grade, and fourth grade classroom teacher. In addition, she was again named Teacher of the Year at North Hills Elementary.

Kay’s teaching philosophy is that all children are unique and special. “As a teacher, my role is to develop and challenge their uniqueness by providing a caring, respectful, meaningful and fun atmosphere for them. I am a true believer that if you create an environment of respect, along with integrating the curriculum with unit projects, group discoveries, technology, and hands on activities, that all these components enable a child to develop skills, knowledge, and resourcefulness that leads to success in life.

“I have witnessed my logic in action by meeting former students and parents who give back to our community and are successful in their endeavors. They share fond memories of their year in my classroom. The feeling is overwhelming to know that through their experiences in my classroom, they make a difference in our world.

“For me, teaching is leaving a spark with each child as he or she matriculates throughout school years and throughout life. I proudly wear the banner I TEACH!”